The Seaside to SLO leg follows the scenic California Central Coast, but the riders in stage 4 of the
2008 Amgen Tour of California enjoyed none of the views as they slogged through dreary, cold rain and constant headwinds, keeping the pace under 20 mph for much of today's long stage. The racers finally finished after nearly seven hours on the road, well after the anticipated 4 p.m. finish time.
A break that eventually consisted of Edward King (Bissell), Roman Kilun (Health Net p/b Maxxis), Dominique Rollin (Toyota - United), Danilo Wyss (BMC Racing Team), Bauke Mollema (Rabobank), George Hincapie (High Road) and Iker Camano Ortuzar (Saunier Duval-Scott) moved ahead of the peloton. Rollins attacked beginning about 45 minutes from the end, pulling away from the breakaway as Hincapie and Camano work to reel him in. Rollins, a continental team rider, managed to hold off two seasoned Euro pros and took the stage win today, with Hincapie pulling ahead of Camano for second place and Camano rounding out the podium.
Team High Road got three of the top five spots as Gerald Ciolek and Mark Cavendish came in fourth and fifth place. I'm certain the cyclists are glad today's stage is over.
It was painful watching today's stage -- I could almost feel the discomfort as they rode through the miserable rain and their soggy kit clinged to their arms. The stomach bug that took Tyler Farrar out yesterday apparently hit several other riders, mechanics and support staff, making the long ride even longer and more miserable for them. Several cyclists dropped out.
I'll grab some quotes from the riders and update this post later tonight. I'm sure there will be some good ones so check back here at
Cyclelicious for the updates.
Read the complete post at http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cyclelicious/~3/239130695/tour-of-california-stage-4-results.html